Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kent, WA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,315 in Kent, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kent, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,315
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kent, WA and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kent, WA and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,315 in Kent, WA versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Kent, WA $3,315
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,993 in Kent, WA versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Kent, WA $4,993
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,670 in Kent, WA versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Kent, WA $6,670
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Kent, WA is roughly 80% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kent, WA 146% above, Nosara 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kent, WA
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.74 $19.74
$12.35 ₡5,539
59.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.6 $80.6
$61.2 ₡27.4K
31.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.78 $13.78
$7.52 ₡3,373
83.24%
Cappuccino
$4.76 $4.76
$4.41 ₡1,978
7.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 $2.80
$1.74 ₡780
60.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 $2.09
$1.31 ₡587
59.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.84 $6.84
$3.28 ₡1,471
108.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.79 $7.79
$4.47 ₡2,004
74.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kent, WA
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 $1.34
$1.56 ₡701
-14.10%
White Bread (500g)
$5.00 $5.00
$3.02 ₡1,355
65.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.31 $3.31
$2.51 ₡1,125
31.87%
Eggs
$6.65 $6.65
$3.57 ₡1,603
86.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.02 $15.02
$7.43 ₡3,333
102.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.14 $14.14
$10.52 ₡4,717
34.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.82 $22.82
$13.97 ₡6,265
63.35%
Apples (1kg)
$5.92 $5.92
$2.35 ₡1,052
151.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.87 $1.87
$1.61 ₡720
16.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.90 $3.90
$4.80 ₡2,152
-18.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.23 $4.23
$1.61 ₡724
162.73%
Potato (1kg)
$2.81 $2.81
$3.80 ₡1,703
-26.05%
Onion (1kg)
$2.72 $2.72
$3.69 ₡1,657
-26.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.13 ₡507
36.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.41 $2.41
$2.66 ₡1,191
-9.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.35 $12.35
$5.18 ₡2,321
138.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.23 $15.23
$19.88 ₡8,916
-23.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.09 $2.09
$2.90 ₡1,300
-27.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 $1.95
$3.63 ₡1,626
-46.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Kent, WA
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.03 $3.03
$1.12 ₡504
170.54%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$62.0 $62.0
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-14.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.62 $2.62
$2.14 ₡958
22.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.64 $1.64
$1.57 ₡703
4.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.40 $30.40
$8.52 ₡3,823
256.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.52 ₡682
-3.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.4K $36.4K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
68.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-25.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kent, WA
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$300 $300
$96.3 ₡43.2K
211.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$62.8 $62.8
$35.89 ₡16.1K
74.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$84.5 $84.5
$53.6 ₡24.0K
57.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kent, WA
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.42 $33.42
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-53.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.01 $17.01
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-51.27%
Cinema Ticket
$17.33 $17.33
$7.89 ₡3,539
119.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kent, WA
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,667 $2,667
$494 ₡221.6K
439.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.9K $30.9K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
160.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kent, WA
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.50 $39.50
$53.9 ₡24.2K
-26.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.6 $54.6
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-1.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.0 $91.0
$77.9 ₡34.9K
16.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$40.76 $40.76
$79.6 ₡35.7K
-48.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kent, WA
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,075 $2,075
$788 ₡353.4K
163.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,828 $1,828
$794 ₡356.2K
130.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,023 $4,023
$3,939 ₡1.8M
2.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,479 $3,479
$1,419 ₡636.5K
145.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,972 $5,972
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-13.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,988 $3,988
$1,224 ₡549.0K
225.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kent, WA
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,592 $4,592
$864 ₡387.3K
431.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.76
8.62
-21.58%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kent, WA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kent, WA
$1.8K
Nosara
$794 56.6% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Kent, WA
$459
Nosara
$352 23.2% $107
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kent, WA
$447
Nosara
$186 58.5% $261
Eating Out
Kent, WA
$326
Nosara
$212 35% $114
Clothing & Footwear
Kent, WA
$102
Nosara
$120 18.1% $18
Getting Around
Kent, WA
$85
Nosara
$87 2.5% $2.1
Sport & Entertainment
Kent, WA
$68
Nosara
$87 28.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,075 in Kent, WA and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kent, WA pays 432% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $81.0 in Kent, WA vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Kent, WA
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
22:08 10:08 PM
23:08 11:08 PM
1 h ahead of Kent, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
136,588
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kent, WA Nosara 5,390 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kent, WA
  • Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Kent, WA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kent, WA or Nosara?
Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Kent, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Kent, WA or in Nosara?
Average pay runs 432% higher in Kent, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Kent, WA compared to Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,075 in Kent, WA versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Kent, WA and in Nosara?
Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $81.0 in Kent, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Kent, WA compared to Nosara?
All in, you'll spend $3,315 per month in Kent, WA versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Kent, WA or in Nosara?
At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,315 in Kent, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Kent, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Kent, WA or Nosara?
Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.
How safe is Kent, WA compared to Nosara?
Safety-wise, Kent, WA and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Kent, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Kent, WA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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